O'Connor's offers something to like for all

Published: Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 09:35 AM.

NAVARRE – With the arrival of O’Connor’s Irish Pub & Grill, a wee bit o’ the Emerald Isle has settled on the Emerald Coast, and that’s no blarney.

Very well. I’ve exhausted my repertoire of Irish idioms. I won’t inflict you with any more attempts.

Having never visited a pub in Ireland, I cannot say if O’Connor’s has replicated the experience. I can say they have a dartboard, lots of TVs, the Irish Tricolour, and food you would expect to order at a sports bar combined with a Yank-inspired grill.

The food
O’Connor’s offers a full range of appetizers, salads, entrees, seafood, sandwiches and side items with a sprinkling of dishes that might have sprung from the Old Sod. Those would include appetizers such as Scotch eggs, homemade Irish mustard sausages in blankets, and Rueben dogs.

The remainder of the menu will strike a familiar chord with bar & grill habitués.

Let’s begin with the appetizers. O’Connor’s provides a healthy serving of wings, anywhere from five to 20, flavored hot, mild or jerk, and accompanied by ranch or bleu cheese dressing. Celery is available upon request.

Then there’s spinach and artichoke dip, fried cheese, chips and salsa, chicken quesadillas and a menu item called spicy chicken wonton tacos. I was intrigued by another appetizer called O’Connor’s spuds – potatoes with bacon, mixed cheese and avocado chunks.

Seafood lovers have a medley of choices, from cedar-plank salmon and tilapia, to chipotle grilled salmon, panko shrimp and a veggie platter (served over a bed of rice pilaf).
To keep with the over-the-pond theme try the fish and chips – battered and fried fish served with fries and cole slaw. It comes with a jalapeno-smoked tartar sauce.

In addition to the Rueben try the fried chicken sandwich, Buffalo chicken sandwich, classic BLT, roast beef, club and veggie role. Or if burgers are more to your tastes, O’Connor’s offers several varieties, from simple cheeseburgers to bleu cheese bacon or portabella Swiss.

O’Connor’s has a separate lunch menu with soups, half salads and sandwiches, and a Sunday brunch menu consisting of omelets, waffles and items for kids.

Desserts were not listed on the main menu, but a separate flier promised two kinds of pie. O’Connor’s also has an extensive imported and domestic beer, wine and mixed drink listing.

We wanted to start our dinner with the homemade Irish mustard sausage blankets appetizers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t available, so we chose the spinach & artichoke dip.

The dip was creamy, tasty, and hot, as it had been freshly prepared. It shared the plate with red nacho chips. In my opinion, there weren’t enough chips or dip for two people, at least not at $8.50.

For our entrees, my guest chose the Buffalo chicken salad. O’Connor’s provides a healthy serving of salad along with all the expected ingredients for such a dish. The Buffalo chicken sauce initially carried a strong vinegary flavor until the palate settled.

I ordered the Roan’s ribs. The meat was flavorful and melted from the bone. The full rack was more than I could eat at a single sitting. The dish came with two sides, mesquite bean & bacon soup, and cole slaw.

I swapped the cole slaw for the redskin mashed potatoes. The potatoes were tasty, but my favorite was the bean & bacon soup, which more closely resembled a stew in consistency. You can order the bean & bacon soup as a side to any entrée for 25 cents – a good deal.

The service
We experienced some small lapses in service, though I would attribute that to the fact O’Connor’s was packed to the rafters the night we visited. Clearly the residents of the Navarre area have embraced this new restaurant as we waited 10 minutes for a table, and folks were queued up outside.

The atmosphere
Inside, O’Connor’s resembles a conventional bar and grill, with the exception of the extensive number of TVs scattered throughout the restaurant. That makes me believe the ownership hopes to serve the sports fan, and I can easily see this restaurant becoming a favorite hangout during the next NFL season, or World Cup for that matter.

As you enter the restaurant, to the front and left is a full service bar where you can order a drink and wait for your table, if that’s necessary. Off to the right, is the main seating area for dinner service. As O’Connor’s is in a small shopping center anchored by Publix, parking is not a problem.

A final taste
Families and sports fans alike will find something to like about O’Connor’s. Its extensive television coverage and generous beer, wine and mixed drink menu will appeal to football enthusiasts and its hearty dinner selections should appeal to everybody else.

NAVARRE – With the arrival of O’Connor’s Irish Pub & Grill, a wee bit o’ the Emerald Isle has settled on the Emerald Coast, and that’s no blarney.

Very well. I’ve exhausted my repertoire of Irish idioms. I won’t inflict you with any more attempts.

Having never visited a pub in Ireland, I cannot say if O’Connor’s has replicated the experience. I can say they have a dartboard, lots of TVs, the Irish Tricolour, and food you would expect to order at a sports bar combined with a Yank-inspired grill.

The food
O’Connor’s offers a full range of appetizers, salads, entrees, seafood, sandwiches and side items with a sprinkling of dishes that might have sprung from the Old Sod. Those would include appetizers such as Scotch eggs, homemade Irish mustard sausages in blankets, and Rueben dogs.

The remainder of the menu will strike a familiar chord with bar & grill habitués.

Let’s begin with the appetizers. O’Connor’s provides a healthy serving of wings, anywhere from five to 20, flavored hot, mild or jerk, and accompanied by ranch or bleu cheese dressing. Celery is available upon request.

Then there’s spinach and artichoke dip, fried cheese, chips and salsa, chicken quesadillas and a menu item called spicy chicken wonton tacos. I was intrigued by another appetizer called O’Connor’s spuds – potatoes with bacon, mixed cheese and avocado chunks.

Seafood lovers have a medley of choices, from cedar-plank salmon and tilapia, to chipotle grilled salmon, panko shrimp and a veggie platter (served over a bed of rice pilaf).
To keep with the over-the-pond theme try the fish and chips – battered and fried fish served with fries and cole slaw. It comes with a jalapeno-smoked tartar sauce.

In addition to the Rueben try the fried chicken sandwich, Buffalo chicken sandwich, classic BLT, roast beef, club and veggie role. Or if burgers are more to your tastes, O’Connor’s offers several varieties, from simple cheeseburgers to bleu cheese bacon or portabella Swiss.

O’Connor’s has a separate lunch menu with soups, half salads and sandwiches, and a Sunday brunch menu consisting of omelets, waffles and items for kids.

Desserts were not listed on the main menu, but a separate flier promised two kinds of pie. O’Connor’s also has an extensive imported and domestic beer, wine and mixed drink listing.

We wanted to start our dinner with the homemade Irish mustard sausage blankets appetizers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t available, so we chose the spinach & artichoke dip.

The dip was creamy, tasty, and hot, as it had been freshly prepared. It shared the plate with red nacho chips. In my opinion, there weren’t enough chips or dip for two people, at least not at $8.50.

For our entrees, my guest chose the Buffalo chicken salad. O’Connor’s provides a healthy serving of salad along with all the expected ingredients for such a dish. The Buffalo chicken sauce initially carried a strong vinegary flavor until the palate settled.

I ordered the Roan’s ribs. The meat was flavorful and melted from the bone. The full rack was more than I could eat at a single sitting. The dish came with two sides, mesquite bean & bacon soup, and cole slaw.

I swapped the cole slaw for the redskin mashed potatoes. The potatoes were tasty, but my favorite was the bean & bacon soup, which more closely resembled a stew in consistency. You can order the bean & bacon soup as a side to any entrée for 25 cents – a good deal.

The service
We experienced some small lapses in service, though I would attribute that to the fact O’Connor’s was packed to the rafters the night we visited. Clearly the residents of the Navarre area have embraced this new restaurant as we waited 10 minutes for a table, and folks were queued up outside.

The atmosphere
Inside, O’Connor’s resembles a conventional bar and grill, with the exception of the extensive number of TVs scattered throughout the restaurant. That makes me believe the ownership hopes to serve the sports fan, and I can easily see this restaurant becoming a favorite hangout during the next NFL season, or World Cup for that matter.

As you enter the restaurant, to the front and left is a full service bar where you can order a drink and wait for your table, if that’s necessary. Off to the right, is the main seating area for dinner service. As O’Connor’s is in a small shopping center anchored by Publix, parking is not a problem.

A final taste
Families and sports fans alike will find something to like about O’Connor’s. Its extensive television coverage and generous beer, wine and mixed drink menu will appeal to football enthusiasts and its hearty dinner selections should appeal to everybody else.